The film tells the story of an unrequited love between an Arabic architect, Naghib, who's perfectly integrated into society, and his fellow countrywoman, Amina, who's forced to work as a prostitute because she's alone and is an illegal immigrant. The architect denies the conditions of the girl and at the same time, he starts up another relationship with an Italian woman. When Amina re-discovers her husband (who ran away after they arrived in Italy) he attacks her with blows and insults because of her work as a prostitute. She once again goes in search of Naghib, who she sees as the only alternative to the squalor of her life, but when she sees the full extent of his prejudices she runs away without saying anything. When he finally realises that he's attracted to Amina, it will be too late, the women, who's an illegal immigrant and outside of the law, has been forced to go back to her own country.
Freely adapted from the novel by Younis Tawfik, with the same name.